Ellie Planner vs Focus Booster: Comprehensive Comparison
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Overview
In today's fast-paced world, choosing the right productivity tool can make all the difference. This comprehensive comparison between Ellie Planner and Focus Booster will help you understand which tool best fits your workflow and productivity needs.
⚡ Quick Summary
Aspect | Ellie Planner | Focus Booster |
|---|---|---|
Best For | A minimalist daily planner app focused on time-blocking with drag-and-drop task scheduling and calendar integration. | Pomodoro timer app with time tracking and analytics (discontinued) |
Pricing | Free Plan available. Pro: $9.99/month, $99.99/year, or $299.99 lifetime. | Discontinued |
Platforms | Web, iOS, Mac, Windows | Web, Windows, Mac, Mobile |
What is Ellie Planner?
Ellie Planner is a minimalist daily planner and time-blocking app that combines tasks and calendar events to help users plan and visualize their day. It features drag-and-drop task scheduling, a brain dump area for quick capture, and built-in time tracking with analytics. The app includes AI assistant capabilities for task organization and scheduling optimization.
🌟 Key Features of Ellie Planner
✦Time Blocking with Drag-and-Drop: Core feature allowing users to drag tasks from a Kanban-style list directly into their calendar view for visual time blocking and day planning.
✦Brain Dump & Task Management: Quick capture inbox area combined with comprehensive task management including lists, priorities, due dates, labels, subtasks, and recurring tasks.
✦Built-in Timer and Analytics: Time tracking capabilities with analytics on how you spend your time, providing insights into productivity patterns and time allocation.
✦AI Assistant: AI-powered features for bulk task creation, smart organization, time estimation, automated scheduling, finding free time, and priority guidance (Pro feature).
✦Calendar Integration: Syncs with Google, Apple, and Outlook calendars to provide a unified view of appointments and tasks in one interface.
✦Cross-Platform Access: Available on web, iOS, Mac, and Windows with native apps and browser-based access for flexible planning anywhere.
What is Focus Booster?
A Pomodoro-based time management app that helps users maintain focus through timed work sessions and breaks, featuring customizable timers, time tracking, and productivity analytics. Note: Focus Booster has officially shut down after 15 years and is no longer available for new users.
🌟 Key Features of Focus Booster
✦Customizable Pomodoro timer with session and break length adjustment
✦Time tracking with task, project, and client tracking capabilities
✦Reports and analytics with session history and productivity insights
✦Cross-device sync with offline mode support
✦Idle detection with notifications and sound alerts
✦Manual time entry and data export functionality
📊 Feature Comparison
Feature | Ellie Planner | Focus Booster |
|---|---|---|
📅 Calendar Integration | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
✅ Task Management | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
⏰ Time Blocking | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
🗣️ Natural Language Processing | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
🔔 Notifications | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
🌍 Time Zones Support | ✗ No | ✗ No |
📆 Scheduler | ✓ Yes | ◐ Limited |
📈 Analytics | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
🔗 Integrations
Ellie Planner
Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, Notion, Zapier
Focus Booster
Google Calendar, Evernote
💰 Pricing Comparison
Ellie Planner
Free Plan available. Pro: $9.99/month, $99.99/year, or $299.99 lifetime.
Free Plan: $0 with unlimited tasks and braindump. Ellie Pro: $9.99/month, $99.99/year, or $299.99 one-time lifetime purchase.
Focus Booster
Discontinued
Service discontinued - no longer available
💡 Things to Consider
When Choosing Ellie Planner
→You Value Visual Time-Blocking: Ellie Planner excels at drag-and-drop task scheduling into calendar views, making it ideal if you prefer visual daily planning over text-based task lists.
→You're Willing to Pay for Core Features: The free plan is quite limited, so you'll need Pro ($9.99/month) for time-blocking, calendar integration, and most useful features - consider if this fits your budget.
→You Use iOS/Web/Desktop: Best experience is on iOS and web platforms. Skip if you need Android support or prefer fully native desktop applications over web-based interfaces.
When Choosing Focus Booster
→The service has been permanently discontinued after 15 years of operation
→Best suited for Pomodoro beginners and freelancers needing simple time tracking
→Limited integrations compared to competitors, lacking support for popular tools like Slack, Notion, or Todoist
⭐ User Reviews
Ellie Planner
"Ellie Planner is praised for its intuitive, minimalist interface and effective time-blocking capabilities with drag-and-drop functionality. Users appreciate the brain dump feature, calendar integration, and responsive indie developer support. However, the free plan is quite limited, pricing is considered high compared to alternatives, there's no Android app, and it offers fewer advanced features than comprehensive tools like Sunsama. Best suited for individual users who prioritize visual time-blocking and simplicity over complex workflows."
Focus Booster
"Users praised its simplicity and effectiveness for Pomodoro-based focus, with lightweight performance and good time tracking. However, it was limited in advanced features and required paid plans after a 7-day trial. Ideal for basic Pomodoro needs but not suitable for users wanting comprehensive task management or free advanced tools."
🎯 Conclusion
Both Ellie Planner and Focus Booster are excellent productivity tools with their own strengths.
Ellie Planner excels in Time Blocking with Drag-and-Drop: Core feature allowing users to drag tasks from a Kanban-style list directly into their calendar view for visual time blocking and day planning., while Focus Booster shines with Customizable Pomodoro timer with session and break length adjustment. The best choice depends on your specific needs, workflow preferences, and budget.
We recommend trying both tools to see which one fits better with your productivity style.
